2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV light

Driving your vehicle
36
6
ESC off state 1
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF )
shortly (ESC OFF indicator light
(ESC OFF ) illuminates). At this
state, the engine control function
does not operate. It means the trac-
tion control function does not oper-
ate. Brake control function only oper-
ates.
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF ) for
more than 3 seconds. ESC OFF indi-
cator light (ESC OFF ) illuminates
and ESC OFF warning chime will
sound. At this state, the engine con-
trol function and brake control func-
tion do not operate. It means the car
stability control function does not
operate any more.
Indicator light
When engine start/stop button is
turned to ON, the indicator light illu-
minates, then goes off if the ESC
system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button.
OJF055253L
OJF055254L
■
Type A
■Type BOJF055255L
OJF055232L
■Type A
■Type B
■ ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light

637
Driving your vehicle
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for dailydriving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESC is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.
WARNING- Operating
ESC
Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip
out of control.
WARNING- Electronic sta- bility control
Drive carefully even though your
vehicle has Electronic Stability
Control. It can only assist you in
maintaining control under cer-
tain circumstances.

Driving your vehicle
38
6
Vehicle stability management
(VSM)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detects changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS- Electronic Power Steering).
This is only the effect of brake and
EPS control and indicates nothing
unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on a sloping road such as a
gradient or incline
Driving in reverse
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
VSM operation off
If you press the ESC OFF button to
turn off the ESC, the VSM will also
cancel and the ESC OFF indicator
light ( ) illuminates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light
goes out.
WARNING- Tire/
Wheel size
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size
as the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying
tire or wheel sizes may diminish
any supplemental safety benefits
of the VSM system.

639
Driving your vehicle
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light
remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• The VSM is designed to function
above approximately 13 mph (22
km/h) on curves.
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) when a vehicle is braking on
a split-mu surface. A split-mu sur-
face is made of two surfaces which
have different friction forces.
The Vehicle Stability Management
system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the respon-
sibility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions – including driving in clement
weather and on a slippery road.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system, no
matter how advanced, can compen-
sate for all driver error and/or driv-
ing conditions. Always drive respon-
sibly.
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.
WARNING- Maintaining
Brake Pressure on Incline
HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped on
an incline. While stopped, make
sure you maintain brake pres-
sure sufficient to prevent your
vehicle from rolling backward
and causing an accident. Don’t
release the brake pedal until you
are ready to accelerate forward.

Driving your vehicle
40
6
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake
is not engaged and the parking
brake indicator light is out before
driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at all
times. If the braking action does not
return to normal, stop as soon as it
is safe to do so and call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed. Don't "ride" the brake pedal.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving can be danger-
ous because the brakes might
overheat and lose their effective-
ness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv- ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place.
If your vehicle is equipped with an Automatic Transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid
creeping forward, keep your foot
firmly on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep
the vehicle from rolling. If your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels.
Under some conditions your park- ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if
the brakes are wet. If there is a risk
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on an incline with the accelerator pedal.
This can cause the transaxle to
overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.

Driving your vehicle
42
6
The warning light illumi-
nates on the LCD display,
when you cancel the AEB
system. The driver can
monitor the AEB ON/OFF status on
the LCD display. When the warning
light remains ON with the AEB acti-
vated, have your vehicle inspected
by an authorized Kia dealer.
OJFA055277
OJF055179L
■Type A
OJFA055278
OJF055075L
■Type B
The driver can select the initial warning activation time in the User Settings
in the instrument cluster LCD display. The options for the initial Forward
Collision Warning include the following:

Driving your vehicle
46
6
Sensor to detect the distance
from the vehicle in front
(front radar)
The sensor is to maintain a certain
distance from the vehicle in front.
However, the smudged sensor lens
with foreign substances, such as
snow and rain, adversely affects the
sensing performance. It may even
temporarily cancel the AEB. Always
keep the sensor lens clean.
Warning message and warning
light
When the sensor is covered or the
sensor lens is dirty with foreign sub-
stances, such as snow or rain, the
AEB operation may temporarily stop.
In this case, a warning message will
appear to notify the driver.
This is not a malfunction with the
AEB. To operate the AEB again,
remove the foreign substances.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• Do not install any accessories, such
as a license plate bracket or
bumper sticker near the sensor
area. Do not replace the bumper
by yourself. Doing so may adverse-
ly affect the sensing performance.
• Always keep the sensor/bumper area clean.
• Use only a soft cloth to wash the vehicle. Also, do not spray highly
pressurized water on the sensor
installed on the bumper.
• Be careful not to apply unneces- sary force on the frontal sensor
area. When the sensor moves out
of the correct position due to
external force, the system may not
operate correctly even without the
warning light or message. In this
case, have your vehicle inspected
by an authorized Kia dealer.
• Use only the genuine Kia sensor cover. Do not arbitrarily apply
paint on the sensor cover.
OJFH056162N
OJF055187L

647
Driving your vehicle
System malfunction
When the AEB is not working prop-erly, the AEB warning light ( ) will
illuminate and the warning mes-
sage will appear for a few seconds.
After the message disappears, the
master warning light ( ) will illu-
minate. In this case, have your vehi-
cle inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer. The AEB warning message may
appear along with the illumination
of the ESC warning light. The AEB may unnecessarily pro-
duce warning messages and warn-
ing alarms. Due to the sensing lim-
itation, the AEB may not produce
warning messages or warning
alarm at all.
When there is a malfunction with the AEB, the braking control does
not operate upon detecting a colli-
sion risk even with other braking
systems normally operating.
The AEB operates only for the vehicle / pedestrian in front, while
driving forward. It does not operate
for any animals or vehicles in the
opposite direction.
The AEB can not recognize cross- traffic or parked vehicles present-
ing a side-profile.
OJF055181L
OJF055079L
■Type A
■Type B
WARNING
The AEB is only a supplemental
system for the driver’s conven-
ience.
The driver still maintains
responsibility to control the
vehicle. Do not solely depend
on the AEB system. Rather,
maintain a safe braking dis-
tance, and, if necessary,
depress the brake pedal to
lower the driving speed.